Long ago, there
lived a king by name Yuvanaswa, a descendant of the solar dynasty. Mandhata, his son,
brought the entire world under his rule. Once, Sage Narada. Appeared before him in a
jovial mood. On the King's asking Narada to tell him the cause of his cheerfulness, Narada
said that he -was coming after a holy bath in the Adi Setu at Vedaranyam and praised and
admired the holiness and sanctity of this Punyateertha.
When Rama was returning from Lanka after killing Ravana, he was possessed of the sin of
Brahmahatti. The sagesfollowing him advised him to pray to Lord Siva. When Rama began to
sit for penance along with the 68,000 sages, after preparing a site in the middle of the
dam, one sage by name Jabali told him that the mount Satyagiri, wherefrom the river
Satyavathi had its course towards the north, was better suited for the purpose and it was
then a part of the dam, having been thrown into the sea by a monkey by name Gavaya and
that the river had merged into the sea. Rama
conducted an austere penance from this site, and Lord Siva appeared before him in the form
of a linga. Surrounded by luminous splendor, on the fullmoon day of the month of Panguni,
when the star Uttara was reigning, along with the holy water of Manikarnika. |
